Statement

This page is now out of date as Statements of SEN are being replaced by Education, Health and Care Plans

I will be updating this page as soon as I am able

Last updated: 26 Jan 2011

Many parents find the process of obtaining a statement, incredibly stressful, and tremendous hard work, but the advice is, if you feel you have a good case, to persist. You will usually need appropriate written supporting evidence, from medical or educational professionals in the field. Many parents simply give up, worn down by the process.

Before parents can secure a Statement of Special Educational Need, they need to apply for an assessment.

After several years of decline in the number of statements issued, KCC has seen a steady rise in the past five years, from 493 to 744. You will find fuller statistics for both Kent and Medway here.

If parents are unsuccessful in securing an assessment of need for their child, or a statement, or a statement naming your preferred school, then you have the right to appeal to the Health, Education and Social Care (HESC) Chamber of the First-Tier Tribunal (previously known as SENDIST) to reconsider your case.

Kent County Council will sometimes use a barrister to defend difficult cases at Tribunal, which can be very daunting for a parent depending on their own resources. However, in 2007-8, of the 3125 cases heard nationally, the Local Authority conceded in around a third, and the Tribunal reached a decision (unspecified) in another third, so many Tribunals do rule in favour of parents.

Kent had one of the highest proportions of appeals to SENDIST per head, in the country outside London again (12th highest per head of population) in the School Year 2007-8 (the latest for which data is available). Medway was 13th!

A Times Education Supplement survey in 2008 reported that a third of primary staff nationally report that pupils are waiting over 12 months for a Statement of SEN. 20% report waits of over two years. I have no reason to believe that Kent is different.